Device for transferring liquids



Dec. 6 11966 $.E.CQ%RY DEVICE FOR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS 2 Sheefis-$heet 1Filed Oct. 19, 1964 INVENTOR STUART E CORRY ATTORNEYS Dec. 6, 1966 s. E.CORRY 3,289,593

DEVICE FOR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS Filed Oct. 19, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2MNVENTOR STUART E. COR RV svwfw ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,289,593DEVICE FOR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS Stuart E. Corry, 4511 S. Lewis Place,Tulsa, Okla. Filed Oct. 19, 1964, Ser. No. 404,703 6 Claims. (Cl.103-72) This invention relates to an apparatus used to transfer liquids.More particularly, this invention relates to an apparatus used to removeliquids from a large deep container. Most particularly, this inventionrelates to an apparatus used to remove liquids from a well.

Various types of pumps employing a series of buckets or cu'ps attachedto a flexible member, such as chain or rope, have been known for a longtime. All of the heretofore suggested systems of this type have certaindisadvantages. Usually the buckets are made of metal and, as in UnitedStates Patent No. 197,296, are emptied by tilting. This method ofemptying limits the use of the buckets of this type to the transfer ofliquids of low viscosity comparable to water. The cups which form a partof this invention are made of flexible material, and are emptied bymeans of squeezing. This invention is of particular value for thetransfer of viscous liquids, and, most particularly, for pumping oilwells.

The main object of this invention is to provide a means of pumpingliquid which is usuable without special adaptation to liquids havingwidely different characteristics and in different environments. Anotherobject of this invention is to provide a more efiicient, less expensive, and more easily repairable pumping system.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims and from the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view of the pumping system of thisinvention showing the continuous loop arrangement and relationship ofindividual liquid carriers to the rest of the system.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the section 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an elevation of one of the liquid cups. FIGURE 4 is across-sectional view across the section 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a sponge type liquid carrier.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of the upper pressure squeezers.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view of a specific embodiment of the lowerportion of the pumping system.

Referring now to the drawings in general, compressible cups 10 aredesigned to carry the liquid. These cups may be constructed of anysuitable material, the only requirement being that the material used becapable of being flexed numerous times without showing excessivefatigue. The cup recesses are indicated generally by the numeral 11, asin FIGURES 3 and 4. Although the cups themselves may be formed of onlyone large recess to carry the liquid, the preferred embodiment is tohave a number of individual recesses running longitudinally of the cup.Any number and size of recess may be used, however, the size and numberof recesses as well as the size of the individual cups will depend uponthe circumstances of the overall operation. These cups 10 are mounted ona cable 13 by passing the cable longitudinally through the center ofeach cup 10 as best shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. After the desired numberof cups have been attached to the cable 13, the cable 13 is formed intoone continuous loop by connecting the ends. The means of connection usedto connect the ends of the cable may be conventional. The continuouscable 13 is wound around and between the upper roller wheels 26 outsidethe liquid container and then down into the liquid container.

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Operation One particular cup 10 is chosen to describe the operation ofthe invention in removing liquid from a well.

The direction of movement is such that the compressible cup 10 entersthe well casing with the open end of the cup recesses 11 facingdownward. The cup 10 travels downward on one side of the divider wall 22and eventually begins its upward journey on the other side of thisdivider wall 22. Thus, in effect, the divider wall divides the path ofthe cups and cable into two components, a downward path and an upwardpath and keeps the cable and cups from being entangled. Well below theliquid surface and at the extremity of the divider wall 22 is locatedthe bottom cup guide 44 which is really an extremity of the divider wall22 and acts to guide the cup and keep it in position when it makes itsloop to begin the upward tour. A variation of the cup guide 44 locatedhere would be a lower guide wheel 50 which has a series of guide grooves51 as shown in FIGURE 7. In turning into the upward side of the dividerwall 22, the cup is now in position with the cup recesses 11 pointingupwards. The cup is guided into the lower cup positioning flange 46 intowhich it fits closely and which flange guides the cup through the bottomrollers 24. The bottom rollers 24 are positioned closer together thanthe diameter of the cup and, thus, as the cup proceeds between therollers, presents a squeezing effect on the cup. This squeezing effectcauses any air trapped in the cup to be forced out through the cup slots12. The air is forced out in the form of small bubbles and passesthrough the vent 32 to be removed. Upon leaving the bottom rollers, thecup immediately fills with liquid. Since all or practically all of thegas or air has been forced from the cup by passing through the rollers24, the cup may fill more completely and efliciently as it passesthrough the liquid. As the cup travels upward, the cup slots 12 throughwhich the air was previously squeezed now resume their effectivelyclosed position and hold the liquid in place.

As the liquid filled cup 10 eventually emerges from the well casing 16,it eventually comes into contact with the upper roller wheel 26 andautomatically slides into place in one of the recesses 28 in this upperroller wheel. As the cable 13 and the compressible cup 10 travel aroundthe upper roller wheel 26, the cup 10 comes into contact with the upperpressure squeezer assembly, shown generally by the numeral 30. Ofcourse, by the time the cup 10 makes contact with the upper pressuresqueezer assembly 30, the cup is already in an inverted position withthe cup recesses 11 pointing downward, thus permitting some of theliquid to escape from the cup and collect on the liquid deflecting plate40. Then, because in some cases the liquid may be of high viscosity, asignificant amount of liquid remains in the cup when it contacts thepressure squeezers 30. The pressure squeezers 30 are designed to removethis last trace of liquid. It can be seen from the figures that, mountedon the shaft 34 directly opposite the recesses 28 in the upper rollerwheels, is a cam 32. As the cup 10 enters the upper pressure squeezerassembly 30, the cam 32 contacts the upper plunger 36 which thencontacts the upper pressure squeezers 38, one on each side of the cup10, and squeezes the cup I0, forcing the remaining liquid out of the cup10 through the cup slots 12. The liquid forced out of the cup slots 12also collects on the liquid deflecting plate 40 with the rest of theliquid. After being emptied of its liquid, the cup passes between thetwo upper roller wheels 26 in such a manner that the two recesses ineach of these wheels 28 coincide so that the cup 10 is not subject toany additional pressure as it passes through these wheels. Upon emergingfrom between these wheels, the cup descends and is ready to begin itsnext cycle.

In the figures, this invention is shown as being held in place upon aplatform 18 and as being operated by motor 20. It is obvious thatplatform 18 and motor 20 are both conventional devices.

It should be clear to anyone skilled in the art that the cups 10 may beformed of any suitable material such as, for example, rubber, any of thevarious plastics, or suitable natural occuring materials such as hemp,cotton, lin en or sisal. FIGURE shows a view of a sponge type liquidcarrier 58 formed from an absorbent sponge-like material, either naturalsponge, natural or synthetic rubher, or plastic. In addition, the cupscould be designed as being closed at each end with either flexiblecoverings or integral valves at each end. It should also be clear thatthe continuous cable 13 may be formed of any suitable material such asany metallic cable, rope, nylon or other plastics or even metallic chainof small links. FIG- URE 7 also shows another variation of cup squeezingmeans below the surface of the liquid. The lower cup squeezing aperture52, generally, is formed from the arrangement of the interior cupsqueezing flange 54 and the side wall cup squeezing flange 56.

Although this specific embodiment of the invention is comprised of acontinuous cable 13 with compressible cups 10, the invention is alsobroad enough to cover a continuous cable which is covered over itsentire length and area by a compressible absorbent material and willoperate in the same manner as this specific embodiment set out here.

Since many widely difi'erent embodiments of this invention may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to beunderstood that the specific embodiment described in detail herein isnot to be taken in a limiting sense since the scope of the invention isbest defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device useful for transferring liquids comprising:

a series of compressible cups attached to a continuous cable, each ofsaid cups having an open end and a closed end and having perforations inthe side walls near said closed end;

a first power-driven upper roller wheel which contains an upper pressuresqueezer assembly and an upper roller wheel recess;

a second upper roller wheel parallel to said first uppe-r roller wheel;and

a divider wall having a lower cup guide, a vent, a cuppositioningflange, and bottom rollers.

2. A device for transferring liquid out of a lower liquid containercomprising, in combination:

an upper liquid collector;

a continuous cable a portion of which extends into said 4. lower liquidcontainer and a portion of which extends adjacent said upper liquidcollector;

a plurality of compressible fluid transporting cups aflixed in spacedrelationship with each other to said cable;

a wheel rotatably supported adjacent said upper liquid collector, saidcable being received on the periphery of said wheel whereby said cableis supported;

means of transporting said cable in a continuous path, said cablepassing downwardly into and upwardly out of said lower liquid containerand passing adjacent said upper liquid collector; and

means of engaging and squeezing each of said cups sequentially toextract at least a portion of the liquid therefrom, the liquiddischarging into said upper liquid collector.

3. A device for transferring liquid out of a lower liquid containeraccording to claim 2 wherein each of said cups coaxially encompassessaid cable.

4. A device for transferring liquid out of a lower liquid containeraccording to claim 2 including means of sequentially compressing saidcups within said liquid container to augment filling of said cups.

5. A device for transferring liquid out of a lower liquid containeraccording to claim 2 including a casing extending from said upper liquidcollector into said lower liquid container and including a longitudinaldivider wall in said casing dividing said casing into two longitudinalcompartments, the downwardly traveling portion of said cable beingreceived in one compartment and the upwardly traveling portion of saidcable being received in the other compartment.

6. A device for transferring liquid out of a lower liquid containeraccording to claim 2 wherein said means engaging and squeezing each ofsaid cups sequentially includes spaced paralleled squeezer plates eachpivotally supported to said wheel, said squeezer plates receiving acompressible cup therebetween; and means pivoting said squeezer platestowards each other to squeeze a said cup therebet'ween.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 155,965 10/1874Mewhall l0374 1,389,428 8/1921 Gartling 103-74 1,703,963 3/1929 Scruby10372 1,763,395 6/1930 Frederick 103-72 1,799,086 3/1931 Caretta 103-72FOREIGN PATENTS 673,997 1/1930 France.

MARK NEWMAN, Primary Examiner.

W. L. FREEH, Assistant Examiner.

1. A DEVICE USEFUL FOR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS COMPRISING: A SERIES OFCOMPRESSIBLE CUPS ATTACHED TO A CONTINUOUS CABLE, EACH OF SAID CUPSHAVING AN OPEN END AND A CLOSED END AND HAVING PERFORATIONS IN THE SIDEWALLS NEAR SAID CLOSED END; A FIRST POWER-DRIVEN UPPER ROLLER WHEELWHICH CONTAINS AN UPPER PRESSURE SQUEEZER ASSEMBLY AND AN UPPER ROLLERWHEEL RECESS; A SECOND UPPER ROLLER WHEEL PARALLEL TO SAID FIRST UPPERROLLER WHEEL; AND A DIVIDER WALL HAVING A LOWER CUP GUIDE, A VENT, ACUPPOSITIONING FLANGE, AND BOTTOM ROLLERS.